The Finnish
Nature League witnessed this morning old-growth forest logging in
Kuhmo municipality in Eastern Finland. The state enterprise Forest
and Park Service is clearcutting the valuable Tervasuo
old-growth forest next to the Issakka old-growth forest protection
site for Stora Enso and UPM-Kymmene.
The banners
hanging along the logging site tell the simple story to European customers
of the Finnish forest industry that very little has changed: "FINNISH
FORESTRY 2000: LOGGING OLD-GROWTH FORESTS".
Another
valuable forest site near Tervasuo old-growth forest is also waiting
to be logged. Laamasenvaara forest next to the Ulvinsalo strict nature
reserve is one of the largest unprotected valuable forest sites in
Eastern Finland. Both Tervasuo and Laamasenvaara forests are part
of the
WWF Hotspot campaign.
EU has
found the amount of old-growth forests in the Finnish Natura 2000
proposal to be inadequate. Finland is to improve its proposal during
this year.
The multinational
forest companies Stora Enso and UPM-Kymmene are the biggest buyers
from the Forest and Park Service. Despite demands by the foreign customers
of Finnish forest industry and environmental organisations, the companies
continue purchasing old-growth forest timber from the state enterprise.